Storage battery.



PATENTED MAY 19, 1903.

J. G. BROGKSMITH. STORAGE BATTERY. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 14, 1902.

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Iatented May 19, 1903.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. BR'ooKsMI'rH, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

STO RAG E BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 728,667, dated May 19,1903.

' Application filed January 14, 1902. Serial No. 89,704. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, JOHN C. BROOKSMITH, a citizen of the United States,residingat Ohicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented acertain new and useful- Improvement in StorageBatteries; and I declarethe following to be afull, clear, and exact description of theinvention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which'it pertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying-drawings,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates in general to storage batteries, and moreparticularly to lead-peroxid sulfuric-acid metallic-lead type, in whichthe active material is mechanically applied to metallic supporting andconducting grids.

The primary object of. my invention is to produce a storage battery ofthe type referred to which will have a large output or capacity per unitof weight of the complete battery I accomplish the above object bygreatly increasing the proportion of active material present in theplate relatively to the weight and volume of the grid withouti'njuriously affecting the durability of the plate.

My invention, generally stated, consists in a storage battery of theclass mentioned in which the grids comprise frames for support. ing theactive material and conducting-rods embedded in the active material andin which the plates formed of the grids and active material are spacedapart by washers made of insulating material and being united byinsulating-rods passing through the plates and washers.

My invention willbe more fully described hereinafter with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which the same is illustrated as embodiedin a-convenient and practical form, and in which i Figure 1 is anelevational view of a positivepole grid; Fig. 2, a cross-section of thepositive-pole grid on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, an elevational View ofa negative-pole grid; Fig. 4, a cross-section of the negative-pole gridon line 4 4 of Fig. 3'; Fig. 4, a view, similar to Fig. 4, of the outernegative-pole grids of an element; Fig. 5, an edge elevational view ofthe grids assembled to form an element; Fig. 6, a sectional view on line6 6 of Fig. 5; Fi 7, a detail view of one of the connecting-rods;

Figs. 8 and 9, detail views of the insulating washers and nuts; Figs. 10and 12, detail views of the terminals for uniting the positive pole andnegative pole plates, respectively. Fig. 11 shows the binding-nut inelevatiou and plan; Fig. 13, an elevational view of afinodified form ofthe positive-pole grid, and Fig. 13 a vertical section on line a a ofFig.,13.

Similar reference characters are used to designate similar parts in theseveral figures of the drawings. I

Reference-letter A indicates the positivepole grid,which comprises anouter frame, preferably of T- shaped cross-section. In order to stiffenand strengthen the open frame A, a vertical rib A and cross-ribs A and Amay be provided, preferably of L- shaped cross-section. Bosses areprovided at the corners of the frame and also at the points ofintersection of the vertical and transverse strengthening-ribs, throughwhich holes are formed when the grid is cast or in any suitablemanneras, for instance, by drilling or punching. A plurality ofconducting-rods a,

' preferably extending in the direction of the grids greatest length andterminating in the frame,'are provided, which serveto conduct thecurrent to and from the active material, which is supported within theouter frame and which surrounds the conducting-rods a. Theconducting-rodsaare formed ofasmaller diameter than the depth of theframe A and are spaced at a comparatively great distance apart in orderto reduce the amount of metal in the grid Without reducing thecross-section of the conductors.

Reference-letter B indicates one of the negative-pole grids; which issimilar to the positive-pole grid in size, but somewhat lighter insection and of a less depth. In practice I have found thatanegative-pole plate seventyfive to eighty per cent. of the thickness ofa positive-pole plate gives good results and does not seriously afiectthe capacity of the battery, while reducing the weight therebyconsiderably. A vertical strengthening-rib B and horizontal ribs B and Bmay be provided in order to give greater rigidity to the grid.

b indicates a series of conductors extending in the direction of thegreatest length of the grid, while b indicates a series of conductorsextending at right angle to the conductors b. The conductors b and b onthe negative-pole grid may be much thinner than the conducting-rods onthe positive-pole grid, as the negative-pole grid is subjected tolittle, if any, electrolytic deterioration, and by arranging theconductors b and b to extend in both directions and spacing themcomparatively close together a more uniform distribution of the currentover the surface of the plate is obtained, which facilitates the formingof the active material, it being unnecessary, however, to arrange theconductors a of the positive-pole plate as close together, as thematerial thereon forms readily in spite of the relatively greaterdistance between the conductors. The negative-pole grids are alsoprovided with bosses disposed similarly to the bosses on thepositive-pole grids and are provided with apertures also adapted toaline with the apertures through the bosses on the positive-pole grid.

The positive-pole and negative-pole grids are preferably formed bycasting, and the material of which they are formed is preferablyantimonious lead containing approximately ten per cent. antimony. Asthis material has considerable amount of rigidity, is fairly elastic,and is not easily attacked by the acid solution, it is well adapted foruse in a storage battery of the design shown. Any metal, however, havingsimilar qualities may, if desired, be used. The material which is placeduponthe positive-pole grids and which during the process of formationbecomes the active material consists principally of red lead, (minium,)with a slight admixture of litharge. This mixture of lead oxids ismoistened with a saturated solution of ammonium sulfate and while in aplastic condition is placed within the grid, so as to stand flush orslightly above the edges of the rectangular frame and so as to be ofsubstantially the same thickness throughout. The conductingrods at areembedded within the plastic material. The grid and its containedmaterial are preferably subjected to considerable pressure betweenlayers of absorbent material, such as blotting-paper, which removes thesurplus moisture and serves to compress the material. The plate is thenlaid aside to harden and dry. The material placed upon the negative-polegrid is preferably composed of litharge with a slight admixture ofminium, which is moistened with a very dilute solution of sulfuric acid.The material is placed upon a negative-pole grid in a somewhat similarmanner to that above described for placing the active material upon apositive-pole grid.

In Fig. 4 I have shown the end negative pole grids of an element, whichare only about half the thickness of the ordinary negativepole grids,inasmuch as they are active on one surface onlynamely, that facing theadjacent positive plate-and hence require only half the active materialin them.

After the positive-pole and negative-pole plates have been prepared,preferably in the manner above described, a suflicient number of themare assembled to form a complete element, such as shown in Fig. 5, inwhich there are five plates. two of which are positive pole. The platesare arranged with the holes through the bosses registering, so thatconnecting-rods 0, preferably formed of insulating material, may bepassed through the openings and secured by any suitable means fixed tothe opposite ends of the rodsuch, forinstance, as nuts E, preferablyalso formed of insulating material. The plates are spaced apart byinterposed washers D, which are also formed of insulating material andare preferably perforated, so they may surround the connecting-rods G.Separators G of any suitable form and material are preferably locatedbetween the adjacent faces of the plates in order to preven t the activematerial from becoming dislodged. When the plates have been assembledand properly spaced and bound together in the manner described, thepositive plates A A are connected in multiple by a terminal-such, forinstance, as shown in Fig. 12comprising a horizontal portion k, which issuitably secured to the lugs a a, pro jecting from the positive plates.The negative-pole plates B B, and B are also electrically united by aterminal H, (shown in Fig. 10,) which comprises a horizontal portion it,which is suitably secured to the lugs b, projecting from the severalnegative plates.-

A nut L (shown in Fig. 11) is adapted to be screwed upon each of theterminals, so as to bind a conductor to each'of the terminals. Theseterminals are preferably cast separate from the grids and secured to thelugs by soldering, burning, or otherwise, the preferable manner ofattaching the terminals, however, being to first dress off the tops ofthe lugs squarely and to an even height and then place the horizontalportion of the terminal against the ends of the lugs, to which it isthen soldered. The terminals and joints are preferably covered withseveral layers of acid-proof compound of any approved kind in order toprotect the same from corrosion by the electrolyte.

In Figs. 13 and 13 1 have shown a modified positive-pole grid A of adesign appropriate for a smaller-sized cell, where it is unnecessary touse the vertical strengtheningrib and more than one horizontalstrengthening-rib. 0. indicates the lug for electrically connecting thegrid to a terminal.

When the several plates have been completed, preferably in the mannerabove described, and assembled so as to constitute an element, thelatter is formed by the passage of a continuous current in one directionthrough the element until all the material on the positive-pole platehas been oxidized to peroxid of lead and all that on the negativepoleplate has been reduced to metallic lead is of great advantage, inasmuchas they are protected to a considerable extent from electrolytic action.Anotherad vantage resulting from this construction is that a continuoussurface of active material is exposed to the electrolyte, thus giving amaximum amount of surface for action by the electrolyte upon the activematerial. On the other hand I have found that if the conducting parts ofthe grid are exposed to the direct action of electrolyte they arerapidly consumed by electrolytic action and-the life of such parts istherefore very limited, and thus they are made large in cross-section inother forms of storage batteries.

In order to entirely prevent the deterioration of the outer edges of theframe of the grids, I preferably coat the same with acidproof paint,coal-tar, or other similar substance, which will prevent contact betweenthe electrolyte and the exterior of the metallic frame.

While I have described more or less precisely the details ofconstruction,I do not Wish to be understood as limiting myself thereto,as I contemplate changes in form, the proportion of parts, and thesubstitution of equivalents, as circumstances may suggest or renderexpedient, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A supporting and conducting grid for storage batteries comprising arectangular metallic frame of T-shaped cross-section provided at itscorners with bosses having holes thereth rough, the vertical faces ofsaid bosses being flush with the edges of the frame.

-2. In a storage battery, the combination with a plurality of gridscomprising metallic frames of T-shaped cross-section provided at theircorners with bosses having holes therethrough, the vertical faces ofsaidbosses being flush with the edges of the frames, of insulating-rodspassing through said holes and thereby uniting the grids.

3. In a storage battery, the combination with a plurality of gridscomprising metallic frames of T- shaped cross-section provided withsuitably-disposed bosses having holes therethrough, the vertical facesof said bosses being flush with the edges of the frames; of. insulatingperforated washers interposed between said grids-and located inalinement with said bosses, and insulating-rods passing through theholes in the grids and perfora tions in said washers.

4. In a supporting and conducting grid for storage batteries, thecombination with a metallic frame, of suitably-disposed bosses on saidframe having holes therethrough, and a plurality of conductor-rods ofcircular crosssection and of relatively less diameter than the depth ofthe frame, said rods extending both longitudinally and laterally Withinthe frame.

5. In a storage battery, the combination with a plurality of plates eachcomprising a frame of T-shaped cross-section having conductor-rods ofrelatively less diameter than the depth of the frame and an activematerial surrounding the conductor-rods, and also surrounding thelongitudinal flanges of the T-shaped frame and thereby supported withinthe frame, of insulating-washers interposed between said plates andlocated in alinement with said bosses, and insulating connectingrodspassing through the plates and interposed washers.

6. In a storage battery, the combination with a plurality of plates eachcomprising a metallic frame of T-shaped cross-section havingconductor-rods of relatively less diameter than the depth of the frameand an active material surrounding the conductor-rods, and alsosurrounding the longitudinal flanges of the T-shaped frame and therebysupported within the frame, of separating material interposed betweensaid plates to prevent dislodgment of the active material thereon andits contact with plates of opposite polarity, means for spacing saidplates apart, and means insulated from the plates for uniting the same.

7. In a storage battery, the combination with a plurality of plates eachcomprising a frame having conductor-rods of relativelyless diameter thanthe depth of the frame, and an active material supported within theframe and surrounding the conductor-rods, of insu lating-washersinterposed between and spacing apart said plates, insulatingconnectingrods passing through the plates and interposed washers,thereby uniting the plates, and separating material located betweenadjacent plates within the space formed by said washers to prevent thedislodgment of the active material and its contact with plates ofopposite polarity.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

. J. O. BROCKSMITH.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. WILKINSON, CLARA C. CUNNINGHAM.

